Editing Disinformation (section)

==Worldwide==
{{globalize section|date=October 2023}}

===Soviet disinformation===
{{excerpt|Soviet disinformation}}

===Russian disinformation===
{{excerpt|Russian disinformation}}

=== Chinese disinformation ===
{{Excerpt|Spamouflage|paragraphs=1}}

===American disinformation===
[[File:How Disinformation Can Be Spread.jpg|thumb|How Disinformation Can Be Spread, explanation by [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Defense Department]] (2001)]]
The [[United States Intelligence Community]] appropriated use of the term ''disinformation'' in the 1950s from the Russian ''dezinformatsiya'', and began to use similar strategies<ref name="manningromerstein">{{citation|pages=82–83|title=Historical Dictionary of American Propaganda|author1=Martin J. Manning  |author2=Herbert Romerstein|chapter=Disinformation|year=2004|isbn=978-0-313-29605-5|publisher=Greenwood}}</ref><ref>{{citation|page=118|title=Right Words|first=Stephen |last=Murray-Smith|publisher=Viking|year=1989|isbn=978-0-670-82825-8}}</ref> during the Cold War and in conflict with other nations.<ref name=adamtaylor /> ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported in 2000 that during the CIA's effort to substitute [[Mohammed Reza Pahlavi]] for then-[[Prime Minister of Iran]] [[Mohammad Mossadegh]], the CIA placed fictitious stories in the local newspaper.<ref name=adamtaylor /> [[Reuters]] documented how, subsequent to the 1979 Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan during the [[Soviet–Afghan War]], the CIA put false articles in newspapers of Islamic-majority countries, inaccurately stating that Soviet embassies had "invasion day celebrations".<ref name=adamtaylor /> Reuters noted a former U.S. intelligence officer said they would attempt to gain the confidence of reporters and use them as [[secret agent]]s, to affect a nation's politics by way of their local media.<ref name=adamtaylor />

In October 1986, the term gained increased currency in the U.S. when it was revealed that two months previously, the [[Presidency of Ronald Reagan|Reagan Administration]] had engaged in a disinformation campaign against then-leader of [[Libya]], [[Muammar Gaddafi]].<ref name=biagi>{{citation|title=Media/Impact: An Introduction to Mass Media|first=Shirley|last=Biagi|page=328|chapter=Disinformation|year=2014|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-133-31138-6}}</ref> [[White House]] representative [[Larry Speakes]] said reports of a planned attack on Libya as first broken by ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' on August 25, 1986, were "authoritative", and other newspapers including ''[[The Washington Post]]'' then wrote articles saying this was factual.<ref name=biagi /> [[United States Department of State|U.S. State Department]] representative [[Bernard Kalb]] resigned from his position in protest over the disinformation campaign, and said: "Faith in the word of America is the pulse beat of our democracy."<ref name=biagi />

The executive branch of the [[Presidency of Ronald Reagan|Reagan administration]] kept watch on disinformation campaigns through three yearly publications by the Department of State: ''Active Measures: A Report on the Substance and Process of Anti-U.S. Disinformation and Propaganda Campaigns'' (1986); ''Report on Active Measures and Propaganda, 1986–87'' (1987); and ''Report on Active Measures and Propaganda, 1987–88'' (1989).<ref name=manningromerstein />

According to a report by [[Reuters]], the United States ran a [[Propaganda in the United States|propaganda]] campaign to spread disinformation about the [[Sinovac Biotech|Sinovac]] Chinese [[COVID-19]] vaccine, including using fake social media accounts to spread the disinformation that the Sinovac vaccine contained pork-derived ingredients and was therefore ''[[haram]]'' under [[Sharia|Islamic law]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last1=Bing |first1=Chris |last2=Schechtman |first2=Joel |date=June 14, 2024 |title=Pentagon Ran Secret Anti-Vax Campaign to Undermine China during Pandemic |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-covid-propaganda/ |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Reuters said the [[ChinaAngVirus disinformation campaign]] was designed to "counter what it perceived as China's growing influence in the Philippines" and was prompted by the "[fear] that China's [[Vaccine diplomacy|COVID diplomacy]] and [[COVID-19 misinformation by China|propaganda]] could draw other Southeast Asian countries, such as Cambodia and Malaysia, closer to Beijing".<ref name=":6" /> The campaign was also described as "payback for Beijing's efforts to blame Washington for the pandemic".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Toropin |first=Konstantin |date=2024-06-14 |title=Pentagon Stands by Secret Anti-Vaccination Disinformation Campaign in Philippines After Reuters Report |url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/14/pentagon-stands-secret-anti-vaccination-disinformation-campaign-philippines-after-reuters-report.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614223757/https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/14/pentagon-stands-secret-anti-vaccination-disinformation-campaign-philippines-after-reuters-report.html |archive-date=2024-06-14 |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=[[Military.com]] |language=en}}</ref> The campaign primarily targeted people in the [[Philippines]] and used a social media [[hashtag]] for "China is the virus" in [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]].<ref name=":6" /> The campaign ran from 2020 to mid-2021.<ref name=":6" /> The primary contractor for the U.S. military on the project was [[General Dynamics|General Dynamics IT]], which received $493 million for its role.<ref name=":6" />

The politicisation of [[disinformation research]] in the United States. Since 2023, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] members of the [[United States Congress|US Congress]] have attacked researchers who study disinformation as being against [[freedom of speech]] and as an euphemism for government [[censorship]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Myers |first=Steven Lee |last2=Frenkel |first2=Sheera |date=2023-06-19 |title=G.O.P. Targets Researchers Who Study Disinformation Ahead of 2024 Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/19/technology/gop-disinformation-researchers-2024-election.html |access-date=2025-04-22 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jankowicz |first=Nina |title=Republicans Are Obsessed with a Censorship Lie |url=https://www.thebulwark.com/p/republicans-are-obsessed-with-a-censorship-lie-twitter-files-taibbi-goebbels |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=www.thebulwark.com |language=en}}</ref> On April 18 2025, citing an Executive Order signed by Trump,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scire |first=Sarah |title=National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/national-science-foundation-cancels-research-grants-related-to-misinformation-and-disinformation/ |website=www.niemanlab.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean? |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/24/nx-s1-5270071/eo-weaponization |access-date=2025-04-22 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> the US [[National Science Foundation]] released a statement cancelling funding for disinformation research,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Updates on NSF Priorities {{!}} NSF - National Science Foundation |url=https://www.nsf.gov/updates-on-priorities |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=www.nsf.gov |language=en}}</ref> citing it does not fit with the NSF priorities, "including but not limited to those on diversity, equity, and inclusion ([[Diversity, equity, and inclusion|DEI]]) and misinformation/disinformation."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carnell |first=Henry |title=Government cancels disinformation grants in disinformation-filled statement |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/nsf-science-disinformation-research-grants-cancelled/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=Mother Jones |language=en-US}}</ref>